Yummy mummies have competition for the attentions of nip-and-tuck doctors as glamorous grannies lead a surge in cosmetic surgery. The number of over-65s seeking surgical enhancements has leapt by almost half over the past seven years, according to Nuffield Health, which is responsible for one in

Spending hours every day staring at their smartphones could be causing sleep problems for teenagers, according to a new study. The longer teens spent using electronic devices throughout the day, the worse their quality of sleep, researchers found. Teens who reported using screens for more than

Two squares in the centre of Bristol will become the first smoke-free outdoor public spaces in Britain today. Fiona Andrews, the director of Smokefree South West, which devised the plan for Anchor Square and Millennium Square, said: “These city centre squares are often full of children playing

More than one large glass of wine a day in middle age could increase the risk of stroke by more than a third, a new study suggests. The findings suggest drinking could raise the risk of stroke for people in their fifties and sixties more than high blood pressure or diabetes. The study followed

More than a third of children in England are overweight or obese, according to a 20-year study. However, the rising trend towards obesity may have started to level off. Researchers found that between 1994 and 2003, the number of obese and overweight children increased by just over 8 per cent each

Drugs may work better if patients believe that they are more expensive, according to researchers. Patients in a study were given the same fake drug twice, but were told that one cost 15 times as much as the other. Those given the “expensive” injection first saw their condition improve far more

Girls who frequently drink fizzy soft drinks could be at greater risk of breast cancer because they start their periods earlier, research suggests. Young girls taking part in a US study who drank more than 1.5 servings of sugary drinks a day began menstruating on average 2.7 months earlier than

A “haphazard” system of diagnosing cancer in Britain causes up to 10,000 unnecessary cancer deaths a year, according to a leading oncologist. Only one in four British cancer patients is referred by their GP, while another one in four has the disease diagnosed when they present at A&E. “No other

Drugs taken by more than half of those aged over 65 in Britain have been linked to an increased risk of dementia. A large study found that common over-the-counter and prescription medications used to treat heart problems, sleeping difficulties and allergies could mean that users are 50 per cent

Physical activity guidelines are too ambitious for many people and should be toned down, experts have suggested. Government guidance says adults should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate activity, such as five 30-minute walks, a week. However, experts said it would be more productive